It must be frustrating to have a sale fall through due to circumstances beyond your control, but that is what happened to the owner of this 1971 Plymouth ‘Cuda. Therefore, he’s taking a second shot at finding a home for this classic that has a lot to offer potential buyers. It needs some work, but the owner is doing his best to give interested parties the best possible shot at returning the car to its former glory. Located in Carver, Massachusetts, you will find the ‘Cuda listed for sale here on eBay. The owner has set the No Reserve auction to open at $26,000, but there have been no bids at the time of writing. A big thank you has to go to Barn Finder TommyT-Tops for spotting this excellent project car for us.

Plymouth offered buyers some premium colors for their new ‘Cuda in 1971, and one of the more desirable was a shade called Tor Red. That is what graces the panels of this car, but the buyer will face some work before they can apply a fresh coat of this stunning color. The panels look straight, with nothing beyond the occasional slight ding to tackle. However, that’s the tip of the iceberg because the buyer will need to address all of the usual rust to get the body back into a sound state. It includes the floors, trunk pan, drop-offs, rear filler panel, and trunk gutters. That’s a long list, but this is where the owner gives the buyer a head start. He has sourced replacement steel from AMD, and he includes those pieces in the sale. There is still rust to consider in the quarter panels, and depending on whether the buyer chooses lower sections or complete panels, the cost of the replacement steel will fall between $160 and $350 per side. The bumpers look like they will be destined for a trip to the platers, but the remaining trim and the glass appear to be acceptable.

The 340ci V8 that we find occupying this ‘Cuda’s engine bay is believed to be original, and it should produce 275hp. That power finds its way to the road via a heavy-duty A727 automatic transmission. Plymouth offered more powerful options for buyers with enough cash in this model year, but a ¼-mile ET of 15.2-seconds would never be considered as shabby. The owner stated that there were some issues with the original Thermoquad carburetor, so he has swapped in a new Edelbrock AVS2. The previous owner told him that the motor had been rebuilt, and it certainly presents well. I have included a video at the bottom of this article. It provides a walkaround and allows us to hear the V8 running. It sounds crisp and sweet, with no nasty noises or clouds of smoke. There are no interior photos, but the owner says that it is rough. The next owner could salvage some pieces, but it’s worth reflecting on the options the original owner chose. These include a console with woodgrain, an AM radio with rear speakers, bucket seats, and three-speed wipers. That’s not a lot by today’s standards, but it didn’t rate badly in 1971.

This 1971 ‘Cuda has the makings of a great project car, and I’m surprised that there have been no bids to this point. However, an incredible 205 people are watching the listing. I get the impression that a few of these are considering submitting a bid but that they could be waiting until the last moment, hoping that they’ll score themselves a bargain. Sometimes this strategy works, while sometimes it doesn’t. I would be tempted to submit a single bid to gauge what happens. I think that this is one that I might watch carefully. It could be pretty entertaining.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5L7BeDhX3s